How does a tortoise survive in a desert with almost no water? It has several tricks up its shell. You already know that ectotherms need far less food and water than a mammal the same size, because they are not burning fuel to stay warm. That means the water inside the plants a tortoise eats goes a long way. Many tortoises can go for ages without a drink as long as they can find something green to eat. Some tortoises dig burrows that slant thirty feet or more into the ground. Even desert soil holds a little moisture, and the air down in the burrow is cool and damp, so the tortoise loses very little water while it rests.
This lesson is part of Certified Junior Herpetologist. Enrollment is self-paced, with no deadline to finish (about 30 hours).
